11.08.2026 15:10
AK Party Deputy Chairman and Party Spokesperson Ömer Çelik held a press conference at the party headquarters. Çelik said, '467 votes in favor indicate a very significant numerical and political quality in the history of the Republic and our political history. We cannot view this merely as a numerical attribute. Its political meaning is also great. A clear will has been demonstrated.'
AK Party Deputy Chairman and Party Spokesperson Ömer Çelik held a press conference at the party headquarters.
Çelik noted that the adoption of the framework law prepared for a Terror-Free Turkey with 467 votes in the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) General Assembly signifies a very important quality for our Republic and political history, stating that this cannot be seen merely as a "numerical quality" and that its political significance is also great.
The highlights of AK Party Spokesperson Çelik's speech are as follows:
Yesterday was a historic day. Regarding our agenda of a Terror-Free Turkey and a Terror-Free Region, the Supreme Assembly, with a high acceptance vote of 467, established the legal groundwork that paves the way for the PKK-KCK terrorist organization to lay down its arms, forms the basis for this, and creates the framework for its realization.
"THERE WERE OCCASIONAL DISRUPTIONS"
Of course, following our President's call to strengthen the domestic front and his mention that the domestic front needs to be strengthened, Mr. Bahçeli's historic call, and subsequently our President's will to transform this into state policy, revealed a picture of Turkey making a brand new strategic move regarding a Terror-Free Turkey and a terror-free region.
Throughout this entire period, there were many ups and downs. There were times called disruption or slowdown from time to time. But we said it every time. We said that the will of our President and the will of Mr. Bahçeli clearly demonstrate a firm resolve, both in terms of the People's Alliance dimension of the matter and the state policy dimension. Sometimes we said, the distance covered in a year can be covered in a day. Sometimes it may seem like we are marking time for weeks. But we have stated on various occasions that we have a clear will and a clear roadmap. Later, the Supreme Assembly's involvement through the commission established in Parliament also ensured the implementation of the parliamentary dimension.
Through weeks of work under the chairmanship of our Speaker of the Parliament, the participation of all segments of society was ensured, and at the end of the day, the report published by the Parliamentary Commission formed a very meaningful framework that laid out the issue in its entirety, presenting the principles, guidelines, and roadmap for the elimination of terrorism and for Turkey to be freed from the burden of terrorism.
"467 VOTES ARE VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR POLITICAL HISTORY"
The 467 acceptance votes indicate a very important quality, both numerically and politically, in the history of the Republic and our political history. We cannot see this only as a numerical quality. Its political meaning is also great. It is a sign that the legal arrangement, which emerged within a reasonable framework, was accepted by a very high proportion of the members of parliament in the Supreme Assembly. Each member of parliament, of course, carries the feelings and sentiments of our citizens in their respective electoral districts. They reflect their demands to Parliament. At the same time, they represent different segments of society. Therefore, the will of the Supreme Assembly is a clear indication, both in terms of showing the positive reflection of different social segments on the process, and in a matter that has been widely debated within Parliament—a subject of terrorism fought for 50 years, around which much literature and many approaches have developed—that the legal framework reached at this point is considered reasonable, and that the process of laying down arms and the dissolution of the organization is supported within this framework.
"UPS AND DOWNS NATURALLY OCCUR"
Our President's instruction of the matter through the state policy process, and his setting out a clear roadmap for how the process should operate by giving clear instructions to our party, constituted the main basis of the policies we have been conducting, following, and trying to conclude together with the delegation he also instructed. At various stages of the process, of course, crises, ups and downs, and deadlocks naturally occur. Mr. Bahçeli's strategic interventions were of vital importance in unblocking the issue and ensuring it progressed on the right track. In every MYK (Central Executive Board) and MKYK (Central Decision and Administrative Board) meeting we held in our Party, our President, since this process began, has devoted the first part of his speech to this topic in his addresses to our MYKs, our deputy chairmen, and our MKYKs, constantly stating that the People's Alliance must act in unity and solidarity. He reminded us of the principles on this matter. Thus, we clearly saw three things.
"A CLEAR WILL WAS DEMONSTRATED"
First, a clear will was demonstrated—by our President and by Mr. Bahçeli. Second, from the perspective of our Party and the People's Alliance, we had a clear roadmap within the framework of the work carried out. Here, it was evident how to proceed based on the qualities of our state and the values of our nation. It was clear before us how state institutions would carry out their work. Third, we had a clear goal. That is what we call a Terror-Free Turkey and a Terror-Free Region—the work to be done to realize this indivisible, intertwined, integrated, strongly interconnected, and detailed goal through its roadmap.
"THE WORDS OF THOSE MAKING CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISMS ARE ALSO EXTREMELY VALUABLE"
Throughout this whole process, there was much discussion. Here, we have always said this: The words of those who support the process, as well as those who make constructive criticisms towards it, are also extremely valuable. Because politics, ultimately, is the art of finding common ground through the clash of many ideas. Humankind invented politics for this purpose. Politics emerged as an ability, as a skill, for resolving issues through discussion, through reason, by producing various methods and solution equations, instead of fighting, conflict, guns, and war. Therefore, I would like to state that we have listened to these constructive criticisms very carefully as well, and in our meetings—and we have held dozens of meetings over two years, meeting morning and night—we have taken these constructive criticisms into account and evaluated them just as much as the contributions.
Evaluating all of these provided great contribution both in shaping our roadmap and advancing it. The political quality of yesterday's 467 figure turned out to be much greater than its numerical quality in this way. From the perspective of Parliament, the fact that the general assembly of Parliament achieved this consensus with a rate like 467 essentially demonstrated how empty claims such as 'the parliament has weakened and the Assembly has been pushed back' under Turkey's Presidential Government System are. It was also seen how high a capability the Supreme Assembly could demonstrate in fulfilling its responsibility on behalf of and for the nation in solving all these matters, with the authority given by our nation and its historical accumulation, when necessary.
During this period, many discussions were held on this subject. The most intense discussions took place yesterday. But I must also state the following. I would like to say this regarding these criticisms. For instance, when you look at social life, constructive criticism, and criticism is an absolutely natural right and we always need criticism, without criticism we lose the chance to find the best and the most correct. Therefore, we should always greet criticism with respect. But in social life, there was a difference between the criticisms that emerge when we meet with civil society and the criticisms in Parliament. While the vast majority of society put forward these criticisms in a constructive manner, that is, with approaches like 'pay attention to these while reaching this goal, take these values into account, consider these points in this roadmap,' yesterday, unfortunately, there were those who tried to create visibility in Parliament with some extremely destructive criticisms, albeit in small numbers.
"THEY TRIED TO PRODUCE CRITICISM BY PORTRAYING THINGS NOT IN THE LAW AS IF THEY EXISTED"
Clearly, our speakers asked the following question. When those making these criticisms were asked, 'What is your proposal? What is your approach?' we clearly saw that there was nothing on the table, nothing was put forward, there was no strategic approach, no political approach, and there was a great political inadequacy in reading the issue both in terms of the history of this matter in Turkey and the developments in the region. One of the most wrong things here is that some criticisms in Parliament, albeit very few in number, tried to produce criticism over an imaginary thing by portraying things that are not in the law as if they existed. Now, this is a very important issue. Because while solving such an important issue for the nation, having studied one's lesson well, comprehending the issue deeply, and knowing both the history, the present, and the regional effects of the issue are extremely valuable. But we saw that some are truly devoid of this and, moreover, have made imaginary criticisms here by portraying things that are not legally or politically within this legal framework as if they existed.
"THE LAW IS CLEARLY IN FRONT OF US"
That is why we see these being done on television from time to time. The law is clearly in front of us. The articles it contains have been clearly laid out. It has been discussed in Parliament. And at the end of the day, 467 members of parliament in the Supreme Parliament created this great result by giving a historic numerical and political message. One of the most valuable aspects of this process is this. There is a literature called conflict resolution in various countries. We have long been saying that the sociological reality or the network of social relations in those countries, which led to the emergence of this literature, has no relation to the situation in Turkey. Therefore, we have repeatedly stated that these things will not happen with cut-copy-paste, rote methods.
"TURKEY DOES NOT NEED A THIRD EYE"
This literature, produced for conflicts between segments of society that are completely separated and disconnected from each other ethnically, religiously, and sectarianly in those countries, has from time to time needed a mechanism called the third eye. Some of those working in these third eye mechanisms, some institutions, international institutions, and individuals also reached out to us, saying 'let us take a role in all these processes, let us help, or let us intervene in all these processes.' What we said to this was the following. Turkey does not need a third eye. There is one eye in Turkey. That is the national eye. And that is the 86 million people themselves. There is also no social situation in Turkey like in the countries that created this literature called conflict resolution. That is, this issue has not come to the agenda as a matter between Turk and Kurd.
Today, during the hottest times of these matters, when the stress related to these matters, the social stress, was highest, our citizens from all segments—Turk, Kurd, Arab, Alevi, Sunni—did not act with any situation or approach outside the consciousness of being a single nation. Therefore, it is not an issue that can be explained with an approach like division on a sectarian basis or separation on an ethnic basis. The topic we are discussing today is the liquidation of the PKK-KCK terrorist organization and its laying down of arms. What has long been said regarding this was the following. After various attempts in the past, this needs a legal guarantee. When this legal guarantee emerges, the process of laying down arms and the liquidation of the organization will be carried out quickly. Although many steps were taken in past periods, this was what was missing. If this is completed, the ground for the liquidation of the organization and the laying down of arms will be established, and the roadmap will be completed, it was said.